Unashamed With the Robertson Family – Ep 1273

"The Only 2 Ways to Show That You Really Love God"
Airdate: February 19, 2026
Hosts: Jason (Jase) Robertson, Zach, Dan (with mentions of Phil, Al, and Missy)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the Robertson family's deep dive into the biblical book of 1 John, exploring its distinctive themes and practical implications for authentic Christian living. The conversation zeros in on how believers can truly demonstrate their love for God, focusing on John's dual commandments: to believe in Jesus Christ and to love one another. The Robertsons weave in personal stories, Bible study observations, and honest dialogue about faith, doubt, community, and the challenge of living out love in a divided world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Structure and Style of 1 John

• John’s Unique Approach: Unlike Paul’s linear writing, John is described as more "circular” and repetitive, possibly due to his age and intent to deeply reinforce key truths (01:09).
  • Quote:

    "We talk about Paul's writings being linear...But John is this particular. And I think it's because he's older...he tends to try to make the same point several times."
    — Zach (01:09)

2. Personal Encounter: Gospel at the Airport

• Jase shares a story of meeting a young woman at an airport who confessed her Christian faith was not reflected in her lifestyle, sparking an impromptu “altar call without a sermon” (06:09–09:26).
  • Key Lesson: Authentic Christianity is rooted in personal knowledge of Jesus, not just church attendance or rituals.
  • Quote:

    "If this is not personal, if you don't believe he's real and he's out there and...seeking you and that's why he came to earth, none of this is going to register in your life."
    — Jase (08:06)

3. The Importance of ‘Ifs’ and ‘This is How We Know’ in 1 John

• 24 'Ifs' in 1 John: The multitude of conditional statements challenges listeners to consider the practical outcomes of faith—if/when we sin, if we claim fellowship, etc. (12:02–16:58)
  • Analysis of translation nuances: Sometimes “if” is rightly read as “when,” indicating certainty about Jesus’ return, for example.
  • Quote:

    "All those 'ifs'...the two that are translated 'when'...Because if just wouldn't have the same ring if he appears, we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming."
    — Jase (15:00)

• "This is how we know": Repeated throughout 1 John, signaling how believers can have assurance in their faith and lifestyle (17:05–21:54).

4. The Central Command: Faith In Christ & Love for Others

• Key Command Explored:
  • 1 John 3:23: “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” (21:54–22:04)
  • Quote:

    "Drum roll. What is this command? ...To believe in the name of his son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us."
    — Jase (22:04, 28:08)

• Not Legalism or Mere Ritual: The focus is on participation in God’s love, not just intellectual assent or rule keeping.
  • Quote:

    "It's not really about proving their loyalty to me...I'm actually telling you, if you want to eat, there's the food. So the commandments...are descriptions and instructions of walking in the pathway of joy."
    — Dan (39:10)

5. The Challenge and Simplicity of Love

• Listener Pushback: Zach recounts criticism that “loving God and loving your neighbor is not enough,” and the team rebuts that with Jesus' own priorities and the practical outworking of faith (24:41–26:43).
• Loving Those Who Differ: The Robertsons discuss modern cultural and political divides, emphasizing that love for one another—especially those with opposing views—is non-negotiable for Christians (27:03).
  • Quote:

    "If you're a Christian...this is the standard by which John is applying...And then you love one another. You do that."
    — Dan (27:59)

6. Knowing God Personally (Not Just Knowing About God)

• Emphasis on Relationship Over Ritual:
  • Jase and Zach stress that genuine Christian life is marked by firsthand knowledge of God.
    • Quote:

      "The simple answer was, you don't know him. Because if you knew him, you would know that he's been pursuing you the whole time."
      — Jase (37:07)

    • Quote:

      "Relationship over ritual or religion...Everything goes back to the relationships, especially the ones that are showing love."
      — Jase (42:29)

• Repeated Theme: “Knowing Him” (mentioned 25+ times in 1 John) is portrayed as active, ongoing participation in God’s own life and love.

7. Stories of Love in Action

• Listener Testimony: Zach highlights a couple undergoing cancer who, in their suffering, reach out to help another family—the power of love bearing fruit in difficult circumstances. (40:21–42:27)

8. Childlike Faith

• Jase’s Family Story: The joy and purity in his four-year-old grandson’s excitement about being with loved ones illustrates the heart of authentic, childlike faith that Jesus commends (43:42–48:09).

9. What if We Don’t Feel Faith or Love?

• Encouragement for the Struggling:
  • Dan explains that faith grows with time and practice, paralleling Paul’s teaching about Abraham in Romans 4—encouraging those who have the “latent desire” to seek God to simply begin the rhythms of gratitude, prayer, and service. (50:26–53:48)
    • Quote:

      "Faith is something that can go stronger. What is faith? Your trust in God...that grows as you spend time with him."
      — Dan (51:20)

• C.S. Lewis Reference: The bittersweet necessity of dying to our old ways in order to embrace God’s new life (53:48).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Assurance:

  “This is how we know we are in Him…”
  — 1 John refrains repeatedly cited (17:05 and throughout)

• On Love and Simplicity:

  "At some point we get older and we become independent and we start missing the things that matter, which is you're knowing God in an intimate way and knowing people and having that love be the connective tissue."
  — Jase (48:13)

• On Living Out Faith:

  "The commandments in the burden, it's just, I'm just giving you instructions. You say you're hungry. I'm saying, oh, go in the pantry or go in the fridge. That's how you should see the commandments of God."
  — Dan (39:10)

Key Timestamps for Segments

• 01:09 – John’s "circular" writing style vs. Paul’s linear style
• 06:09 – Airport encounter: real-life faith conversation
• 12:02–16:58 – Study of “if” (and “when”) in 1 John
• 17:05–21:54 – Exploration of “This is how we know”
• 21:54–28:08 – The two great commandments in 1 John 3:23 unpacked
• 24:41–26:43 – Pushback on love as “too simple” and loving amidst division
• 28:08–31:20 – Greek for ‘agape’ love & its significance
• 37:07–42:29 – “Knowing” God vs. knowing about God; faith as relationship
• 43:42–48:09 – Story of childlike joy and faith from Jase’s family
• 50:26–53:48 – When faith is hard: Abraham’s example and C.S. Lewis on change

Conclusion & Takeaways

The Robertsons reinforce that, according to 1 John, there are only two genuine ways to show love for God:

1. Believe in Jesus Christ (faith is personal trust, not merely doctrine)
2. Love one another (love is practical, actionable, and essential)

To live this out is neither simplistic nor easy but is the beautiful, childlike calling of those who know God and are known by Him.

Reflections for Listeners

• “If you’re wondering whether you love God, ask: Are you trusting Christ, and are you loving others—even those who are difficult to love?”
• Feeling stuck? Begin the rhythms—prayer, gratitude, service—and you’ll find God meeting you there, transforming desire into reality over time.
• Childlike joy and relationship are at the heart of authentic Christianity—the real proof isn’t ritual, but loving relationship with God and people.

This summary was created to capture the heart, teaching, and stories of this Unashamed episode, so you can take away its core wisdom without missing the family’s warmth or scriptural insight.